RENO — Wendy Calvin’s research with minerals has taken her on a tour of the solar system and now she has returned to Earth to focus on geothermal energy.

“I am pleased to announce Dr. Calvin’s appointment as the new director of the Great Basin Center for

Geothermal Energy,” said Jeff Thompson, the dean for the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. “She brings experience in managing programs at the interface between science, engineering and technology and has a history of leadership in interdisciplinary research. With her experience, she will continue to build the reputation of the center and further establish collaborations within the university, industry and the larger geothermal community.”

Calvin, a geophysics professor, joined UNR in 2000 and has been a member of the Great Basin Center since 2002. She has a doctorate in geophysics from the University of Colorado in Boulder and she participates in several of NASA’s Mars Exploration spacecraft missions. She was employed by the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology team in Flagstaff, Ariz. prior to joining UNR.

“I love geophysics because it is applied math,” Calvin said. “It shows how the world works and why, while giving me the opportunity to study something tangible. Instead of atoms and particles I study rocks in order to understand how the Earth operates.”

The center, located on the university’s main campus in Reno, will focus on cutting-edge research to benefit the geothermal industry as a whole and on educating the next generation. In addition to the National Geothermal Academy summer programs currently under development, Calvin plans to create competitive graduate fellowships to convince students to become interested in geothermal and renewable energy as a career path.

The geothermal center collaborates with the university’s Renewable Energy Center and has a variety of partnerships with local industries interested in renewable energy. For more information, go to www.unr.edu/geothermal.